TAMPA, Fla. — Myles Price saw green grass and an opportunity.

After a Vikings defensive stop of the Bucs, Price fielded a punt by Riley Dixon. He capitalized on a fierce block by Jay Ward and then kicked it into second gear, letting his speed take him the rest of the way.

"I couldn't stop smiling," a still-grinning Price said following Minnesota’s 23-16 win. "I'll probably be smiling until Wednesday's practice.

"I just seen somebody getting blocked and was like, 'Hit it. Run, run. Don't let them catch you,' " he added.

"As soon as I made the block, I seen the hole opened up for him," Ward said. "I could tell he was going to go [all the way], so I started putting my hand up immediately."

Price's touchdown made a tremendous impact on a game in which the offense struggled to put points on the board.

"I mean, K.O. (Head Coach Kevin O'Connell) and Coach Hat (Special Teams Coordinator Matt Daniels), they always tell us every week, 'Book this phase, book this phase, book this phase,' " Price said. "And that's what we made sure we were going to do."

The second-year returner has already been close to breaking one multiple times this season, but he entered the Week 3 contest feeling like something special might happen.

In fact, he dreamt it.

Price said he had a dream Thursday night that he returned one for a TD. He opted to not tell any of his teammates but did share it with O'Connell following Saturday night's team meeting. Then during a pre-game nap Sunday, Price saw himself once again crossing into the end zone.

"I promise you, I had another dream and said, 'Oh, it's gonna happen; today's gonna be the day,' " he said. "And sure enough, it happened."

Price's 86-yard punt-return touchdown marked Minnesota's longest since 2013, when Marcus Sherels returned one the same distance against the Giants. It also marked the first one since Sherels took a 79-yarder to the house against Houston in 2016, the third game at U.S. Bank Stadium.

The Vikings have been plenty familiar with the 162-game drought. So much, in fact, that O'Connell and Daniels have been consistently offering the following challenge:

Change the date.

"We've been talking about it for years. Since Hat got here [in 2022], we've been talking about changing the date," Joshua Metellus said. "Last time we had one, shout-out to Marcus Sherels, but we've been trying to do that for a while, and I knew 'Jug' (Price) would be the one.

"I tell him every game, 'Get in that box. Meet me there.' And he met me there," Metellus added. "I'm excited for him. I'm excited for the special teams unit. I think our special teams unit is very underrated. We've got a lot of dogs on there, a lot of guys who just want to help this team win."

Punter Johnny Hekker, who re-joined the Vikings via the practice squad this week and was elevated Saturday to replace an injured Brett Thorson, also noted the team-wide emphasis on special teams.

"It's a head coach-on-down philosophy where you see special teams as a third of your roster, a third of the game: offense, defense, special teams," Hekker said. "So K.O. gives Hat a lot of pull and a lot of say and a lot of time meeting-wise and on the practice field to really hone our craft.

"It shows in games when it's tight and there's an offensive-defensive battle back and forth. Special teams can really be the swinging phase there," Hekker continued. "So really proud of Jug, proud of the guys that blocked their tails off for him to spring it. He knew what he wanted to do and went out and balled out."

Sunday's game featured 17 total punts, including eight by Hekker — who averaged 46.5 yards per boot. He also handled holding duties for Will Reichard's three field goals made from distances of 54, 56 and 43 yards.

"We want to be the best special teams unit on the field every time we go out and play," Reichard said. "We feel like if we can be better than their special teams unit, then we have a really good chance of winning the game. So that's always a goal of ours, to be as good as we can for the team."

Reichard is about as even-keel as they come, but he broke into a smirk when talking about Price.

"It's incredible," Reichard said of the return score. "I'm sure we'll come back next week and they'll say, 'Let's reset it again,' because that's the type of player that he is. He's very, very talented."

Beyond Price's on-field skills, he brings a levity to the locker room appreciated by everyone.

"I think that's what makes it so easy to be excited for him and for the guys to want to be able to block for him," Reichard said. "They strain as hard as they can because he has that personality — and they would anyways, but he's so talented and so bubbly, he's a joy to be around."

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